Next week, or perhaps as early as this week, many of you will be leaving State College for sunnier destinations. Spring break signals the annual migration to tropical climates to de-stress. How? Soak up the sun during the day and hit the clubs at night!

Although surveys show that most college students -- at Penn State and nationally -- make responsible decisions about drinking alcohol, spring break can be a time when responsible decision making falls to the wayside.

Here are some simple tips to help you enjoy a healthy and safe spring break, even if you're spending it in Allentown instead of Acapulco.

1. If you decide to drink, plan to have four or fewer drinks in an evening. College students who have four or fewer drinks when they party have fewer negative consequences as a result of their drinking. You can avoid some of these potential negative experiences: having unprotected sex, having unplanned sex, doing something you regret or not remembering where you were at times and what you did.

2. Pace your drinks to one per hour. Be kind to your liver. It needs one hour to metabolize the amount of alcohol in one drink. One drink is a 12-ounce beer, a 1.5-ounce shot or a 5-ounce glass of wine.

3. Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. One way to avoid having more than one drink per hour is to have non-alcoholic drinks in between.

4. Eat before and while you drink. Eating while you drink will slow down the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream. You should never avoid eating meals before a big night of drinking as a way to save calories.

5. Do not try to keep up with others around you. This is especially true for women. It takes women longer to process the same amount of alcohol as men. Women naturally have a smaller quantity of dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. Women also have a lower percentage of water in their bodies, which means that alcohol is more concentrated in the bloodstream. This means that if a woman drinks the same amount of alcohol as a man, she will typically get drunk faster and will stay intoxicated longer.

6. Limit the drinking games. Drinking games encourage you to consume large amounts of alcohol in a very short period of time. While this may be an effect that some people are looking for, it is unhealthy for your body. Consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time can lead to alcohol poisoning or overdose.

7. Do not drive under the influence or get in the car with a driver who has been drinking.

8. Do not accept an open drink from anyone. Never leave your drink unattended. The use of date rape drugs can be more common during spring break, especially in other countries where the drugs may be legal or easier to buy.

9. Stay with your friends. Agree to go home at the end of the night together. Keep an eye out for each other. Don't let your friends drink too much or get into dangerous situations.

10. Choose not to drink. You can still have fun even if you don't drink alcohol. Without a doubt, you will have better memories and appreciate the vacation that you spent so much money on.

Have fun. Don't forget your sunscreen. And, most importantly, make good decisions. It's your spring break. Remember it!